French President Emmanuel Macron warned this Tuesday in Tirana, Albania, about a resurgence of Islamist terrorism. He noted that all European states face threats and that in democracies there are always individuals ready to commit the worst acts. He spoke during a EU-Western Balkans summit, stressing that there will never be zero risk to the rule of law. His comments followed Monday’s attack in Brussels that claimed two Sweden supporters, and came four days after a young jihadist killed Professor Dominique Bernard in Arras, northern France.
Macron made these remarks at a press conference when asked about the Arras incident. Questions have been raised about potential security lapses around an attack on a public institution. Almost a week after Hamas’s actions and the renewed escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, France raised its counter-terrorism alert level to the maximum. The Republican right and Marine Le Pen’s far-right bloc have criticized the Macron administration for the arrest and surveillance of the attack suspect for Islamic radicalism. Police had questioned him the day before action was taken.
Pledged allegiance to the Islamic State
Before carrying out the brutal murder, Muhammed M., a 20-year-old former student at the center, allegedly swore allegiance to the Islamic State. Sources close to the investigation described this in a video released on Tuesday. In the roughly 30-second clip, recorded shortly before the stabbing, the jihadist—born in the Caucasus but raised mostly in the neighboring country—voiced his hatred for France, the French, and democratic values. A public prosecutor noted the troubling influence of the education he received in France.
The same images show a message of solidarity with Iraq, Asia, Asian Muslims, and Palestine. Prosecutor Jean-François Ricard clarified that the video did not directly reference the Gaza war or the broader escalation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. On Tuesday afternoon, justice will indict the young suspect for the attack at the Gambetta Institute, where three other employees were injured. They must appear before a judge as well. Two alleged accomplices—a 17-year-old brother and a cousin—were arrested near another high school.
Repercussions of the war in Gaza are feared
Since the brutal Hamas attack on October 7, French authorities have logged nearly 200 anti-Semitic acts in France, home to Europe’s largest Jewish community. The tense climate has also manifested in racist incidents targeting Muslim people. The government fears the Gaza war could trigger further unrest, with concerns echoing the Second Intifada. To address these tensions, officials have intensified security-focused meetings while maintaining regular public communication on the issue.
In this context, several communications from French leaders have caused confusion. For example, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin asserted that there is a connection between the Arras attack and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Current evidence, however, presents a more nuanced picture than the initially suggested links. Macron stated on the same day that another attack had been neutralized in northern France, though the details referred to a separate incident involving a pocket knife. These points illustrate ongoing questions about the seriousness and scope of threats as investigators and prosecutors continue their work.